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Discover the Book - January 23

2017Jan 23

COMMENTS

Habakkuk Says to Worship Our God of Sovereignty

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls-yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.
-Habakkuk 3:17-19, emphasis added

Habbakuk (612-588 B.C.) was a contemporary with Jeremiah (627-586 B.C.), Daniel (605-536 B.C.), and Ezekiel (593-571 B.C.). God is watching us as we live in a nation suffering the same disease that ancient Israel suffered-a collective societal amnesia about our spiritual heritage. In ancient Israel it had to do with closing the temple down, hiding the Law of God, and neglecting His worship. In America it is found in the growing skepticism about objective truth. It is the dismantling of language, texts, and history to the point that history is eroded; society thus has no tradition and disintegrates! This is the proven lesson of history: when a godly nation turns from its spiritual heritage, judgment is inevitable and inescapable.

Listen to what the mighty prophet Habakkuk had to say:

· Chapter 1- The burdened prophet talked to his sovereign God. He asked some tough questions, such as: "Why do You, oh God, allow evil to continue?" Habakkuk concluded: God raises up adversaries to punish the wicked (vv. 5-11). But that raised another difficult question in his mind: "Why do You punish evil by using someone far more wicked?" (vv. 12-17).

· Chapter 2- The bended prophet listened to his sovereign God. He took his weighty problem to the Lord and patiently awaited His reply (vv. 1-4). In verses 5-20, he saw the perils of the wicked in which five woes were pronounced against sins. Habakkuk concluded: the righteous live by faith as a way of life, but the wicked have no hiding place.

· Chapter 3- The blessed prophet praised his sovereign God. Through prayer, he was comforted as he praised God for His great person (3:1-2), His glorious power (3:3-15), and His gracious plan (3:16-19). Habakkuk concluded: hope in God despite any hopeless situation.

What can we learn from Habakkuk? We should tremble at God's Word: When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops (Habakkuk 3:16).

God expects each of His children to praise His holy name. The Scriptures teach that we can do so through echoing His attributes and His actions. One way to do this is by affirming these action truths before the Lord: When I am burdened, I will talk to You; when I am bended, I will listen to You; when I am blessed, I will praise You!